You have rejected us, O God; You have broken us; You have been angry; restore us! Sermons
I. HOPE RISING IN THE MIDST OF DESPONDENCY. (Vers. 1-4.) We are apt to fix our mind on our trials. They bulk large. They press us sorely. We dwell upon their grievousness. We shrink from their effects, bewildered and dismayed (ver. 3). Besides, we are too ready to think of our trials as judgments. Our sins make us afraid. God seems to be visiting us in wrath, instead of mercy. But this is our infirmity. As we turn to God with humility, hope rises in our hearts. God is not against us, but for us. If he visits us with trials, it is for our good. His banner over us is still the banner of love. II. FAITH IN GOD'S PROMISES SUSTAINING THE SOUL IN DESPONDENCY. (Vers. 5-8.) The words of Moses, Samuel, and Nathan had sunk deep into the psalmist's heart. He remembered them, and was comforted. How much more reason have we to say, "God hath spoken in his holiness"! We have not only the words, that David had, but many words besides - not only the words of prophets and apostles, but the words of him of whom it was said, "Thou hast the words of eternal life." The Holy Scriptures are rich in promises (2 Peter 1:3, 4; 2 Corinthians 1:20). We may take one and another to the throne of grace, and say, "Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope. This is my comfort in my affliction" (Psalm 119:49, 50). Two rabbis, it is said, approaching Jerusalem, observed a fox running up the hill of Zion. Rabbi Joshua wept, but Rabbi Eliezer laughed. "Wherefore dost thou weep?" asked Eliezer. "I weep because I see what is written in the Lamentations fulfilled: 'Because of the mountain of Zion, which is desolate, the foxes walk upon it'" (Lamentations 5:18). "And therefore do I laugh," said Eliezer; "for when I see with my own eyes that God has fulfilled his threatenings to the letter, I have thereby a pledge that not one of his promises shall fail, for he is ever more ready to show mercy than judgment." III. PRAYER TO GOD GAINING THE VICTORY OVER DESPONDENCY. (Vers. 9-12.) There are great things promised, but how are they to be performed? If we had to do with man, we might have doubts and fears. But we have to do with God, and he is both able and willing to fulfil his word. Remembering his character and his works, we rise above all desponding and depressing influences. Committing ourselves to the keeping of the Lord of hosts, we go forth to the fight with brave hearts. "Jehovah-Nissi" is our watchword, and we are able to say, "Thanks be unto God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (l Corinthians 15:57). - W.F.
The Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping. I. GRATEFUL ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF MERCY. The expressions of the Psalm indicate sorrow of no ordinary kind. Much of this sorrow caused by a sense of the indignation of God against sin (ver. 1). What he pleads for is the pardon of sin, the restoration of the light of the Divine countenance. His plea is God's mercy and God's glory.II. HOLY DETERMINATION TO FORSAKE SIN. "Depart from me all ye workers of iniquity. Those who have experienced God's pardoning mercy will never be content to continue in sin. III. HUMBLE CONFIDENCE. The Lord will receive my prayer. When under the pressure of different causes of sorrow the believer may take confidence from former deliverances. (J. D. Lane, M. A.) I. THE ELEMENTS OF THE PSALMIST'S SORROW (1-7). There was the pressure of Divine displeasure on account of sin (1, 2), combined with soul-anguish (3, 4), perhaps accompanied with sickness, brining nigh unto death (4, 5), whilst enemies add their hate (6, 7). II. THE CERTAINTY OF THE PSALMIST'S DELIVERANCE (8-10). The prayer is no sooner uttered than answered. The consciousness of having been heard steals over the weary soul like a glint of light on to a bed in the hospital ward. Weeping has a voice for the ear of God. The Revised Version reads the imprecations of verse 10 as future tenses — "they shall be ashamed and turn back." When God returns, cur enemies turn back. (F. B. Meyer, B. A.) (A. Symson, B. D.) Let us refuse, therefore, to work any longer task unto Satan, and betake us to a better Master and better service, and work in the Lord's vineyard.(A. Symson, B. D.) As David's prayers were not dumb, but had a voice, so they are not dry but full of tears: those sappy prayers be acceptable to God, which proceed not from a barren and dry heart, but from a heart well watered with the clouds of heaven, hearts planted at the Rivers of waters which we should all pray for. Think ye not that a mother will discern the voice, but much more the weeping of her own child, and the ewe discern the bleating of her own lamb among a thousand; and will not God regard the prayer of His own child being in affliction?(A. Symson, B. D.) People Aram, David, Edomites, Joab, Manasseh, Psalmist, SyriansPlaces JerusalemTopics Angry, 60, Aram, Aram-naharaim, Aramzobah, Aram-zobah, Broken, Burst, Cast, Chief, Choirmaster, Covenant, David, Death, Defenses, Directions, Displeased, Edom, Edomites, Eduth, Fighting, Forth, Fought, Gt, Hadst, Hast, Instruction, Joab, Killed, Leader, Lily, Lt, Mesopotamia, Michtam, Miktam, Music, Musician, Music-maker, Naharaim, O, Oh, Overseer, Poem, Rejected, Restore, Return, Returned, Salt, Scattered, Secret, Shushan, Shushan-eduth, Smiteth, Smote, Striving, Strove, Struck, Syrians, Teach, Teaching, Testimony, Thousand, Thyself, Treasure, Tune, Turn, Turneth, Twelve, Valley, ZobahOutline 1. David, complaining to God of former judgment4. now upon better hope, prays for deliverance 6. Comforting himself in God's promises, he craves that help whereon he trusts Dictionary of Bible Themes Psalm 60: 4446 flowers Library Moab is My WashpotWhat does Moab represent to you and to me? We are the children of Israel by faith in Christ, and in him we have obtained by covenant a promised land. Our faith may cry, "I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valles of Succoth." All things are ours in Christ Jesus; "Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine." Now Moab was outside of Canaan. It was not given to Israel as a possession, but in course of time it was subdued in warfare, and became tributary to the Jewish king. Even thus our faith overcometh … Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 17: 1871 That we must not Believe Everyone, and that we are Prone to Fall in Our Words Dialogue i. --The Immutable. Vehicles of Revelation; Scripture, the Church, Tradition. Psalms Links Psalm 60:1 NIVPsalm 60:1 NLT Psalm 60:1 ESV Psalm 60:1 NASB Psalm 60:1 KJV Psalm 60:1 Bible Apps Psalm 60:1 Parallel Psalm 60:1 Biblia Paralela Psalm 60:1 Chinese Bible Psalm 60:1 French Bible Psalm 60:1 German Bible Psalm 60:1 Commentaries Bible Hub |